Rich Halley 4: A Distant Land

Saxophonist Rich Halley's music has, from the very beginning, exuded a steroid-like vibe. The sounds he makes may be able to move the Earth. It may incite a landslide. His tenor sax is as brawny as Sonny Rollins' sound, or Dexter Gordon's. And when he brings powerhouse trombonist reformist Michael Vlatkovich into the fold—a group tagged as the Rich Halley 4—the level of seismic output rises a few notches.

A Distant Land, the group's eighth recording, stays in the rough-and-tumble Halley lane. A quartet with no chording instrument in sight comes right at you—just the two horns and bassist Andrew Jones and drummer Carson Halley straight at you, no frills, no fuss. There is no B.S. about it. You want a shot of sonic testosterone; this is it.

All that said, Halley's music is, though wild, as approachable as Ornette Coleman's—though the term 'acquired taste' may come to mind. Those in the mood for serenity or something soothing should listen elsewhere; but when that particular cup has been filled, a turn to Halley's The Blue Rims (Louie Records, 2003) or The Shape Of Things (Pine Eagle Records, 2020), or A Distant Land should shake you out of your reverie.

During the latter part of the last century, Halley led a group called The Lizard Brothers, a three or four-horn sextet. In the early 21st century, he hooked up with Dave Storrs' Louie Records and released a remarkable stream of small ensemble recordings, including Mountains And Plains (2005) and Objects (2002). In 2010, he launched his own record label, Pine Eagle Records, where he has released—and still releases—stimulating high-energy music, including A Distant Land, to carry on in his bold tradition.